Centering Post Assembly

ABSTRACT

A centering post assembly includes an adapter that has a coupling section, a receiver section and a disk section extending between the coupling section and the receiver section. The coupling section has a pre-determined diameter for inserting into a bolt hole in a backing plate of an angled power tool. The receiver section has a pre-determined diameter for inserting into a center hole of a polishing pad thereby facilitating the polishing pad to be centered on the backing plate. The disk section is strategically positioned between the coupling section and the receiver section to extend a pre-determined distance into the bolt hole in the backing plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to centering devices and more particularly pertains to a new centering device for centering a polishing pad on a backing plate of a polishing tool. The device includes a coupling section and a receiver section each extending in opposite directions from a disk section. The coupling section is insertable into a hole on the backing plate and the receiver section is insertable into a hole in the polishing pad to precisely center the polishing pad on the backing plate.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to centering devices including a supporting head for abrasive disks that includes a cylinder that is attachable to a drive of a power tool and a cap that engages the cylinder for compressing an abrasive disk between the cylinder and the cap. The prior art discloses a variety of self centering polishing disks that each includes a variation of a central mount being integrated into the self centering polishing disk for mounting to a power tool. In no instance does the prior art disclose an adapter which engages a bolt hole in a backing plate and a hole in a polishing disk for centering the polishing disk on the backing plate.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an adapter that has a coupling section, a receiver section and a disk section extending between the coupling section and the receiver section. The coupling section has a pre-determined diameter for inserting into a bolt hole in a backing plate of an angled power tool. The receiver section has a pre-determined diameter for inserting into a center hole of a polishing pad thereby facilitating the polishing pad to be centered on the backing plate. The disk section is strategically positioned between the coupling section and the receiver section to extend a pre-determined distance into the bolt hole in the backing plate.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a centering post assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new centering device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 , the centering post assembly 10 generally comprises an adapter 12 that has a coupling section 14, a receiver section 16 and a disk section 18 extending between the coupling section 14 and the receiver section 16. The coupling section 14 has a pre-determined diameter such that the coupling section 14 can be inserted into a bolt hole 20 in a backing plate 22 of an angled power tool 24. Moreover, the coupling section 14 frictionally engages the backing plate 22 for retaining the coupling section 14 in the backing plate 22. The angled power tool 24 may be a right angled polisher, an angle grinder or other type of electric tool that is commonly employed in the autobody industry for polishing and buffing body panels of vehicles.

The receiver section 16 has a pre-determined diameter such that the receiver section 16. In this way the receiver section 16 can be inserted into a center hole 26 of a polishing pad 28 thereby facilitating the polishing pad 28 to be centered on the backing plate 22. Furthermore, the disk section 18 is strategically positioned between the coupling section 14 and the receiver section 16 such that the coupling section 14 extends a pre-determined distance into the bolt hole 20 in the backing plate 22. The polishing pad 28 may be a polishing pad that attachable to a right angle polisher that is commonly employed in the autobody industry for buffing and polishing body panels on vehicles.

The disk section 18 has a top surface 30, a bottom surface 32 and a perimeter edge 34 extending between the top surface 30 and the bottom surface 32. The disk section 18 has an opening 36 extending through the top surface 30 and the bottom surface 32 and the opening 36 is centrally positioned with respect to the perimeter edge 34 of the disk. The coupling section 14 has an outer wall 38 extending downwardly from the bottom surface 32 of the disk section 18. Furthermore, the outer wall 38 is continuously arcuate such that the coupling section 14 has a cylindrical shape. The outer wall 38 is aligned with a bounding edge 40 of the opening 36 in the disk section 18 such that the outer wall 38 frictionally engages a bounding surface 42 of the bolt hole 20 in the backing plate 22. The coupling section 14 has a distal edge 44 with respect to the top surface 30 of the disk section 18 and the outer wall 38 has a first height between the top surface 30 of the disk section 18 and the distal edge 44.

The receiver section 16 has an outside wall 46 extending upwardly from the top surface 30 of the disk section 18. The outside wall 46 is continuously arcuate such that the receiver section 16 has a cylindrical shape. In this way the outside wall 46 can frictionally engage a bounding surface 48 of the center hole 26 in the polishing pad 28. The outside wall 46 is aligned with the bounding edge 40 of the opening 36 in the disk section 18 and the receiver section 16 has a distal edge 50 with respect to the bottom surface 32 of the disk section 18. The outside wall 46 has a second height between the bottom surface 32 of the disk section and the distal edge 50 of the outside wall 46.

Furthermore, the first height associated with the coupling section 14 is greater than the second height. The first height may be approximately 2.0 inches and the second height may be approximately 1.0 inch.

In use, the coupling section 14 is inserted into the bolt hole 20 of the backing plate 22 until the disk section 18 abuts the backing plate 22. In this way the adapter 12 is engaged to the backing plate 22. The polishing pad 28 is positioned on the receiver section 16 such that the receiver section 16 extends into the center hole 26 in the polishing pad 28. In this way the adapter 12 ensures that the polishing pad 28 is perfectly centered on the backing plate 22. Thus, the polishing pad 28 does not produce vibration and oscillation when the angled power tool 24 is turned on such as is common place when the polishing pad 28 is not precisely centered on the backing plate 22. Furthermore, the coupling section 14 can be removed from the bolt hole 20 in the backing plate 22 at any time.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A centering post assembly for centering a buffing pad on an angled power tool, said assembly comprising: an adapter having a coupling section, a receiver section and a disk section extending between said coupling section and said receiver section, said coupling section having a pre-determined diameter wherein said coupling section is configured to be inserted into a bolt hole in a backing plate of an angled power tool having said coupling section frictionally engaging the backing plate for retaining said coupling section in the backing plate, said receiver section having a pre-determined diameter wherein said receiver section is configured to be inserted into a center hole of a polishing pad thereby facilitating the polishing pad to be centered on the backing plate, said disk section being strategically positioned between said coupling section and said receiver section wherein said coupling section is configured to extend a pre-determined distance into the bolt hole in the backing plate.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said disk section has a top surface, a bottom surface and a perimeter edge extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said disk section having an opening extending through said top surface and said bottom surface, said opening being centrally positioned with respect to said perimeter edge of said disk; and said coupling section has an outer wall extending downwardly from said bottom surface of said disk, said outer wall being continuously arcuate such that said coupling section has a cylindrical shape wherein said outer wall is configured to frictionally engage a bounding surface of the bolt hole in the backing plate, said outer wall being aligned with a bounding edge of said opening in said disk section.
 3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said disk section has a top surface, a bottom surface and a perimeter edge extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said disk section having an opening extending through said top surface and said bottom surface, said opening being centrally positioned with respect to said perimeter edge of said disk; and said receiver section has an outside wall extending upwardly from said top surface of said disk, said outside wall being continuously arcuate such that said receiver section has a cylindrical shape wherein said outside wall is configured to frictionally engage a bounding surface of the center hole in the polishing pad, said outside wall being aligned with said bounding edge of said opening in said disk section.
 4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said disk section has a top surface and a bottom surface; said coupling section has an outer wall and a distal edge with respect to said top surface of said disk section, said outer wall having a first height between said top surface of said disk and said distal edge; and said receiver section has an outside wall and a distal edge with respect to said bottom surface of said disk section, said outside wall having a second height between said bottom surface of said disk and said distal edge of said outside wall, said first height being greater than said second height.
 5. A centering post assembly for centering a buffing pad on an angled power tool, said assembly comprising: an adapter having a coupling section, a receiver section and a disk section extending between said coupling section and said receiver section, said coupling section having a pre-determined diameter wherein said coupling section is configured to be inserted into a bolt hole in a backing plate of an angled power tool having said coupling section frictionally engaging the backing plate for retaining said coupling section in the backing plate, said receiver section having a pre-determined diameter wherein said receiver section is configured to be inserted into a center hole of a polishing pad thereby facilitating the polishing pad to be centered on the backing plate, said disk section being strategically positioned between said coupling section and said receiver section wherein said coupling section is configured to extend a pre-determined distance into the bolt hole in the backing plate, said disk section having a top surface, a bottom surface and a perimeter edge extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said disk section having an opening extending through said top surface and said bottom surface, said opening being centrally positioned with respect to said perimeter edge of said disk, said coupling section having an outer wall extending downwardly from said bottom surface of said disk, said outer wall being continuously arcuate such that said coupling section has a cylindrical shape, said outer wall being aligned with a bounding edge of said opening in said disk section wherein said outer wall is configured to frictionally engage a bounding surface of the bolt hole in the backing plate, said coupling section having a distal edge with respect to said top surface of said disk section, said outer wall having a first height between said top surface of said disk and said distal edge, said receiver section having an outside wall extending upwardly from said top surface of said disk, said outside wall being continuously arcuate such that said receiver section has a cylindrical shape wherein said outside wall is configured to frictionally engage a bounding surface of the center hole in the polishing pad, said outside wall being aligned with said bounding edge of said opening in said disk section, said receiver section having a distal edge with respect to said bottom surface of said disk section, said outside wall having a second height between said bottom surface of said disk and said distal edge of said outside wall, said first height being greater than said second height.
 6. A centering post system for centering a buffing pad on an angled power tool, said system comprising: an angled power tool having a backing plate, said backing plate having a bolt hole extending through said backing plate; a polishing pad having a center hole extending through said polishing pad; and an adapter having a coupling section, a receiver section and a disk section extending between said coupling section and said receiver section, said coupling section having a pre-determined diameter such that said coupling section is insertable into said bolt hole in said backing plate of said angled power tool having said coupling section frictionally engaging the backing plate for retaining said coupling section in said backing plate, said receiver section having a pre-determined diameter such that said receiver section is insertable into said center hole of said polishing pad thereby facilitating said polishing pad to be centered on said backing plate, said disk section being strategically positioned between said coupling section and said receiver section such that said coupling section extends a pre-determined distance into said bolt hole in said backing plate, said disk section having a top surface, a bottom surface and a perimeter edge extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said disk section having an opening extending through said top surface and said bottom surface, said opening being centrally positioned with respect to said perimeter edge of said disk, said coupling section having an outer wall extending upwardly from said top surface of said disk, said outer wall being continuously arcuate such that said coupling section has a cylindrical shape, said outer wall being aligned with a bounding edge of said opening in said disk section, said outer wall frictionally engaging a bounding surface of said bolt hole in said backing plate, said coupling section having a distal edge with respect to said top surface of said disk section, said outer wall having a first height between said top surface of said disk and said distal edge, said receiver section having an outside wall extending downwardly from said bottom surface of said disk, said outside wall being continuously arcuate such that said receiver section has a cylindrical shape, said outside wall frictionally engaging a bounding surface of said center hole in said polishing pad, said outside wall being aligned with said bounding edge of said opening in said disk section, said receiver section having a distal edge with respect to said bottom surface of said disk section, said outside wall having a second height between said bottom surface of said disk and said distal edge of said outside wall, said first height being greater than said second height. 